Harbour-adjacent without the tourist trap energy — Chrisostomos serves honest Cretan food at fair prices with genuinely friendly staff. Book ahead.
Eating well near Chania's Venetian Harbour takes some navigation — the waterfront itself is beautiful and almost entirely overpriced — but Chrisostomos manages to sit close to the action without any of the usual warning signs. No laminated menus with photographs, no tout at the door, no sunset markup on the wine. Just a reasonably priced menu, staff who seem genuinely pleased to see you, and food that reflects what Cretan cooking actually tastes like rather than what tourists expect it to.
It's the kind of place that fills up because people come back, which is why bookings are essential. Don't assume you'll walk in and find a table, particularly in high season — sort it in advance and you'll have a much better evening for it.